This paper presents a method to develop coherently a Driving Assistance System (DAS) and its supporting technologies in order to reach efficiently the best added value in terms of Human-Vehicle interactions and technology specification.

This method is an iterative development process based on a Human Centred Design approach. It requires a driving simulator and a development framework in order to simulate technologies. The first step of the method is to validate the DAS prototype through 3 iterative tasks:​ Study of the drivers needs, Design of the DAS with “perfect” technologies, Evaluation of driver-vehicle interactions to validate the effectiveness of the assistance.

Then the second step is to obtain the best trade off between effectiveness of the assistance and technological requirements through 2 iterative tasks:​ Modification of the technology performance by changing the specifications (toward existing, emerging or futuristic technologies), Evaluation of driver- vehicle interactions to validate that the assistance is still effective.

This guides the final decision for the DAS production:​ use existing technologies, or develop better safety technologies.

This method is developed inside VIVRE 2 project, which aims to design an innovative DAS to help truck drivers engaged in low speed manoeuvres in urban areas.

We first developed a prototyping platform, which we then used along with the method to design the DAS and to determine the best compromise in terms of Human-Vehicle interactions and technology specification.

Even if the method inherits of the limitations of simulated environments, it permits a “driver in the loop” development of innovative DAS which would be difficult otherwise.

Instead of using the classical approach “From technologies, to DAS design, to DAS evaluation”, this approach shift the problem to “From driver needs, to DAS evaluation, to technologies”.